Camponotus Pseudoirritans

Camponotus pseudoirritans  (Asian Carpenter Ant)

This variety of carpenter ant originates from subtropical forests in South East China. It's a realtively large species of ant with visually pleasing colouration as one can observe hues of yellow and almost dark orange/brown like patterns across its gaster. Some queens even present slightly black tipped gasters, a very nice medium sized ant with interesting colouration! 

Unlike the queens, workers are typically yellow and polymorphic, meaning that workers as small as 2 mm (minors) and individuals as large as 12mm (majors) will develop to coexist within the colony and routinely manage their tasks between them. 

In the wild, nests are often found amongst stones and decaying wood in the floor/soil level of the tropical rainforest as opposed to higher canopy levels. 

They are a very fast species of ant when agitated and will spray formic acid! However, this ant that is suitable for beginners as long as precautions are taken. In terms of growth they are quite fast to develop once the colony reaches 20 workers and over. Due to the nature of their natural environment, these ants are active throughout the year and do not require hibernation. 

It is illegal and strictly frowned upon to release any non-native ants into the wild.